3. Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
3.1 Establish challenging learning goals
3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
I was required to design and implement a teaching sequence of six lessons to teach a split year 5 and 6 class about persuasive texts. This was a fantastic learning opportunity that enabled me to think critically about how to integrate my teaching philosophy into a teaching sequence. As my philosophy aligns with a socio-constructivist perspective, I ensured my lessons maximized student learning by providing opportunities for cooperative learning which assured positive interdependence and individual accountability and active learning that enabled students to discuss, explain, negotiate, think critically justify, debate, brainstorm, formulate their own questions and present their ideas to the classroom. The lessons were also authentic as students analysed and critiqued real, persuasive texts that surround them in their daily lives and discussed topics that related to them individually as well as connect to the wider world, including the benefits of extending recess and the implications of breeding and killing animals for human consumption.
Please see the attached lesson plan to view the initial lesson in the teaching sequence that identified students' thinking and current knowledge about persuasion and persuasive texts to inform my planning as well as ignited student thinking and passion about the topic and consequently enhanced student engagement and work quality. This progressed gradually from informal group work and learning about persuasive techniques to formal writing of a persuasive text.
Students were very engaged in each of my lessons and as we looked at several topics during debates in the initial lessons, I picked the 3 topics that students had the most ideas for and were most passionate about. This resulted in students wanting to discuss the topic and write their persuasive texts so they had an opportunity to express their opinions and ideas. Students who were often disengaged in class surprised me with their significant engagement in these lessons which gave great feedback to me regarding the effectiveness of my lessons.
Evidently, the authenticity and opportunities for collaboration and critical thinking about issues relevant and important to the children were critical in the overall effectiveness of these lessons.
Overall, this teaching sequence was a catalyst for significant self-reflection and professional learning. Next time, with additional time allocated, I would like to progress to a more student-centred, project-based approach. This would enable deeper, prolonged and more authentic learning to occur by integrating with more curriculum areas, such as HASS, where students would be given the time and scaffolding to conduct a project-based learning experience into environmental issues such as the impact of the farming industry, deforestation or pollution on the environment. Students would then display their final product, such as a documentary, advert, written text or speech, to an authentic audience, such as an online blog, a TED talk as well as their own and other schools.
Additionally, I took advantage of a spontaneous teaching moment during one of these lessons to discuss how persuasion and critical thinking will be especially important for these students as they are entering high school next year and will be persuaded by others to do questionable activities such as smoking, bullying and absconding from school. This provoked me to consider how this would be a valuable subject to integrate into a persuasive teaching sequence and is something I would love to explore further with students.
3.3 Use teaching strategies
3.4 Select and use resources
3.5 Use effective classroom communication
3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs
3.7 Engage parents/ carers in the educative process